Sanders calls for 'political revolution'

Saturday

Aug 1, 2015 at 8:56 PMAug 1, 2015 at 8:57 PM

Erik Hawkinsehawkins@seacoastonline.com

EXETER – Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders electrified a crowd that filled the historic Exeter Town Hall to capacity and beyond on Saturday with his populist message and call for “a political revolution.”

If Sanders’ remarks had one overarching theme, it was that “family values” do not belong to Republicans, and liberals need to reclaim the term and fight for working wages, paid family leave and universal health care. When Republicans talk about family values, Sanders said, they are talking about taking away a woman’s right to choose and not allowing same-sex couples to marry.

“I believe in family values; in legislation that supports loving families,” Sanders said, adding that as a country we need to end “the international embarrassment” of being the only major country without the universal right to paid medical and family leave. In Sanders’ estimation, bringing living wages and health care to all Americans will require a grass-roots uprising that rolls back the degree of power and influence corporations and the wealthy hold over the political process.

“We need to revitalize our political process, not cheapen it,” Sanders said. “We need people who are ready to take on the handful of billionaires holding the power, to tell them, ‘Enough is enough. This country belongs to us. This government belongs to us.'”

Sanders called the Citizens United Supreme Court decision “disastrous,” and said that as president he wouldn’t nominate any justice who didn’t make it their “first order of business” to repeal the decision, a statement that received thunderous applause and foot-stomping. He called for the public funding of all elections and promised that during his campaign he would accept no donations from billionaires or Super PACs. According to Sanders, his campaign has received more individual donations than any other this primary. “This is a people’s campaign,” he said.

Sanders called for a massive federal jobs program to the tune of $1 trillion over five years to rebuild the country’s infrastructure and put millions back to work, as well as free college tuition at all state colleges and universities.

Near the close of the event, Sanders answered a question from a resident about the possibility of his running as an independent, should he lose the nomination to Hillary Clinton, promising that he wouldn’t. “I promise that I will not run as an independent” he said, calling the Republican agenda one of tax breaks for the wealthy, cuts to education and the Environmental Protection Agency and Social Security. “I do not want to be a part of electing some right-wing Republican as president.”

Peter Francese, of Exeter, expressed his concern about the Fox News “propaganda machine” going after Sanders, and asked him how he intended to counter right-wing media. “Fox News, to its credit, is an arm of the Republican Party, and it’s unabashed about it,” he said. “… It’s not just Fox though: 95 percent of talk radio is extreme right-wing.” He added that in his estimation, most of the national media is not only owned by corporations, but only interested in the presidential campaign in terms of gossip and attacks. He plans to counter both elements of the media with time, money and effort, as well as with his campaign’s extensive social media outreach.

When asked by Priscilla Jones, of Amesbury, Mass., how he planned to pay for his many proposals aimed at solving the issue of income inequality and implementing a universal, single-payer health care system, Sanders acknowledged that it was “an expensive proposition,” but that through closing tax loopholes, imposing new taxes on Wall Street speculation and “making sure the wealthy pay their fair share,” it could be done.

Sanders said that, if elected, he would need his supporters' help throughout his presidency in order to implement the structural economic changes and populist legislation he proposes. “I believe we can win this election. But, the powers in Washington are so powerful and have so much influence over what goes on that even the best president couldn’t bring forth an agenda for working Americans without a political revolution,” he said.

“I know which side I am on and have always been on,” Sanders vowed.

Sanders will appear on Sunday, Aug. 2, at the American Legion, 551 Foundry St. in Rollinsford for another Town Meeting-style event at 10:30 a.m.

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